Electronic device manufacturers strive to produce a rich interface for users. Many devices use visual and auditory cues to provide feedback to a user. In some interface devices, a tactile effect (such as vibration, texture, and heat) are also provided to the user. Such tactile effects may more generally be referred to as “haptic feedback” or “haptic effects”. Haptic feedback can provide cues that enhance and simplify the user interface. For example, vibration or deformation effects may be useful in providing cues to users of electronic devices to alert the user to specific events, or provide realistic feedback to create greater sensory immersion within a simulated or virtual environment.
To generate a haptic effect, many devices use an actuator. Example actuators for generating a haptic effect (also referred to as a haptic actuator) include an electromagnetic actuator such as an eccentric rotating mass (“ERM”) actuator and a linear resonant actuator (“LRA”). Other actuators include actuators that use a “smart material,” such as a piezoelectric material, an electro-active polymer, or a shape memory alloy.